It was May 1808. The inhabitants of Madrid had risen up against the intruder Joseph Bonaparte, who had usurped the throne of the Bourbons.
Filled with hatred toward the French, the insurgents mercilessly killed any soldiers they managed to catch in the streets or in their homes.
One morning, the celebrated Dr. Claubry came upon a mob of insurgents who, judging by his attire, recognized him as belonging to the invading army.
The doctor was a great devotee of Our Lady and belonged to the Confraternity of the Rosary. That very day, he had received Holy Communion in a church dedicated to Our Lady and was returning home peacefully.
When he realized the danger, he raised his hands to heaven and invoked the holy names of Jesus and Mary.
They were just about to kill him, accusing him of being a renegade and an impious man, when a fortunate idea came to his mind.
— No, he said, I am neither faithless nor blasphemous. And if you want proof, look at what I have with me.
And he showed them the rosary he had been praying.
At this, the attackers immediately lowered their weapons, saying:
— This man cannot be as wicked as the others, for he prays the rosary.
At that very moment, as though sent by Our Lady, the sacristan of the church where the doctor had received Communion appeared. Seeing him surrounded by the insurgents, he shouted at the top of his voice:
— Do him no harm! He is a devotee of Our Lady; I saw him receive Communion in our church this very morning.
Upon hearing this, the aggressors calmed down, kissed the crucifix on Claubry's rosary, and escorted him to a place of safety.
Upon returning to his homeland, the pious doctor published an account of the favor he had received and continued praying the rosary throughout his life.
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